London man gets 5 years for YouTube terror videos

First dissemination conviction

Common Topics

A London man who created extremist videos and loaded them onto the internet was jailed for five years today.

Mohammed Gul, a 23-year-old from Elm Park Avenue, Hornchurch, was found guilty of five counts of dissemination of terrorist publications contrary to section 2 of the the Terrorism Act 2006 after a trial at the Old Bailey. He was found not guilty on one count of dissemination.

He received five years for each count, to run concurrently and will be subject to a 15-year notification order.

Gul had used four different accounts to load extremist videos onto YouTube between March 2008 and February 2009. He began with videos of attacks on coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, the making of improvised explosive devices (IEDS), and 9.11 footage.

He then began making compilations of material from Gaza, and material from other trouble spots around the world.

When police raided his home in 2009, they found a large amount of material including footage of executions and suicide bombers' martyrdom videos.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne said: "This is one of the first successful prosecutions relating to disseminating terrorist publications via the internet and shows our commitment to tacking those who support and encourage terrorism, whatever means they use." ®